UK artist Ian Berry has his first solo exhibition at Museum Rijswijk from 1 December 2020 - 5 April 2021. There is a generous choice to see from the different series he has made over the past 15 years, such as Behind Closed Doors, Hotel California and The American Jean. Record Store, a complete record store made of denim, will also be on display but displayed within a home scene reflecting the year.
UK artist Ian Berry has been making virtuous figurative paintings and installations of denim for over 15 years. He uses discarded jeans, cuts them up into pieces and sorts according to hue like a painter places his color nuances to his palette. At first glance the work seems two-dimensional, but when you zoom in, you can see how different layers of denim are placed on top and over each other. The ‘paintings’ are in fact denim collages so perfectly put together. They are almost impossible to distinguish from a realistic painting.
Ian Berry is a socially committed artist. With his work he responds to topical developments in society. His work is made of denim not only because he likes the material, it is as well because the textile industry is one of the most polluting industries. In his work he asks attention for this. In 2019, Ian Berry was proclaimed one of the 50 most influential people in the denim industry in the world.
In response to the lockdown in the UK, Ian Berry started the international photo project Stay Behind Closed Doors on his website. He called out to professionals and amateurs to send in a photo that depicts what the lockdown means to them personally. A selection of these photos will be exhibited at the show.